More than two dozen human rights groups appealed to Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday to free three rights campaigners imprisoned in Syria. The 25 organizations called on Assad to free pro-democracy writer Michel Kilo, political activist Kamal Labwani, and prominent lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, "who have been jailed only because they practiced their right of free expression." The signatories included groups from around the world, including Egypt, Russia and countries in Asia and Africa, according to a copy of the statement faxed to The Associated Press by the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights, one of Egypt's top independent rights groups.